Free to Be Us
by Kerink
Summary: Hikaru and Kaoru's parents find out about their love affair.
1. Chapter 1

**Keri:** Title and ending thanks to my friend Faith :3 My first Ouran fan-fic, and it's NOT a one shot! Yay!

**Warnings:** twincest, character death

**Disclaimers:** Ouran High School Host Club belongs to Bisco Hatori

- - - -

The twins didn't want to hear it. They didn't care what their parents thought. They just wanted to go back to their room and think about what they would do the next day for the Host Club. They were thinking along the lines of biting. But their script making had been interrupted with one of the maids telling them their parents wanted to speak with them.

They were now sitting in front of their parents in one of the sitting rooms. Their father was drinking a glass of wine while their mother was powdering her nose. Hikaru glanced boredly at Kaoru, who returned the look. Both boys knew what the other was thinking.

Their mother was the first to speak. "Boys," she said, placing her makeup back in her purse, "we called this family meeting to tell you about something very important." She picked up the laptop off the table that was separating the two couches. "I was on the school's website this morning checking up on your grades and classes when I saw that you were in the Host Club! I went onto their website, and this is what I found." She opened the laptop for them to view.

Hikaru's jaw dropped as Kaoru yelped: "That isn't us!" he turned away blushing while Hikaru bit his lower lip at the photo of him and his younger brother kissing in front of the school fountain.

Their father raised a brow, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. "Oh? Is their a second pair of red-headed twin boys at Ouran High?" he set his wine down and stared at his sons. How could something like this happen in his family?

"What Kaoru means," Hikaru said after collecting himself; he sat back against the couch, "is that this picture is obviously photoshoped. Made by the other club members to get back at us for a prank we pulled during the first semester."

"Yeah, I mean, I didn't hear a camera go off when we were making out!" Hikaru shot a glare at his younger sibling. "I mean-" he groaned and buried his head in his hands. He had caught onto Hikaru's plan a little too late.

"So you don't deny this…this incestuous relationship?!" their father stood, his face turning red as he yelled. If the boys had denied it, he would have believed it out of desperation, but here they were confessing to kissing one another.

Hikaru stood between his father and his brother. "Yes! We don't deny a thing!" he matched his father, glare for disgusted glare. He would not have anyone, not even him, yell at Kaoru. The other was devilish as well, but was easily turned into a bawling mess, and looked as though he was close to tears already.

"Please, darling, Hikaru, calm down!" both men sat, their eyes still locked. Hikaru placed a hand on Kaoru's shoulder, pulling the shaking boy into his arms to try and calm him. "Sweet hearts. We understand that you're teenagers and we understand you have…urges and you're curious, but we don't want you confusing the closeness that you share as brothers for the kind of closeness two people in love share. We only want what's best for you two." Their mother pleaded with them, tried to reason with them.

"What's best for us," Kaoru said quietly, "is one another." He nuzzled his head underneath Hikaru's chin. The elder smiled and held Kaoru tightly, brushing his orange hair out of his face.

"Look Mother, Father, me and Kaoru are in love and if you can't handle that, well too bad. Don't try and stop us, don't try and tell us it's wrong, because even if it is, it's right for us." He kissed his brother on the forehead. Their parents visibly flinched. "All we've ever had is each other, our entire lives, you two weren't even able to tell us apart until we started parting our hair differently. The only people in the entire world that matter are me and my little brother here."

Their father growled smacking Hikaru across the face. "You disgusting, ungrateful little-" His wife stood, grabbing him by the arm. She began to yell at him, scolding him for hitting their child, but the boys didn't stick around to hear what they were going to say. Hikaru took Kaoru's wrist, standing up and dragging him out of the room. Out of the home, and into the car waiting to take them to school.

- - - -

"What?!" Tamaki shouted at the two. His arms flailing spastically, the other watched in shock, even Honey-senpai had stopped eating.

"You heard us, we're quitting this club. You all went too far posting that picture of me and Kaoru on the website. Our MOTHER found it." Hikaru tried not to yell. "We had to leave our home, soon father will cut all our credit cards and cancel our tuition. We want to get to things before he does. We're dropping out of this school, getting our college fund and putting it in another account. We've decided to get our own home and," he sighed, "we'll have to get jobs. That one little image destroyed our lives and we refuse to associate with you people any longer."

"But Hikaru-san, Kyouya-chan and Haruhi-chan were just trying to get back at you for posting that picture of Haruhi-chan with out her shirt on." Honey placed a strawberry into his mouth and Mori nodded.

"But did anything happen to _Haruhi-chan_? My father** hit** me." He pointed to his still red cheek. "We have no home, no money, we're too young to quit school and too young to get any high-paying job. Our lives are over." He took a deep, shaky breath as he straitened up. "We always knew that no good would come of friends." He turned and went out the door, Kaoru hot on his trail.


	2. Chapter 2

**Keri:** omg chapter two :0

- - - -

When Kaoru had first gone to a commoner market, he had been surprised by how cheap everything was, but now that he didn't have a near infinite amount of money, things began to seem a little more expensive. It had been two days since they had left their parents' house, they had been able to transfer their college fund into their own bank-account like they said they would and had been able to buy a small condo with it. They agreed to only touch the rest of it if they desperately had to, that way it would collect a lot of interest, allowing them to buy more expensive things if they wanted.

The younger twin was busy buying the groceries for the week, having already planned what he would cook up until Sunday. He figured it would cost less money this way. Hikaru was busy stocking their home with the furniture they had bought – a couch, a small TV, a table, a bed, some chairs – nothing was too large or fancy, but it would do for now.

He sighed, turning the tomato over in his hands, checking for bruises and scratches, when his brother came up behind him. Hikaru placed a hand around Kaoru's waist. "Well, the house is all set up; we'll have to pick up some pots and pans while we're out. I was able to get a job too," he sighed as well, "it's just being a bag-boy," both shuddered, "but it's better than nothing, I guess."

Kaoru nodded slowly, placing the vegetable into his basket. "I feel kind'a bad for yelling at everyone. But it was their fault…we should have been more careful though." He hung his head, waiting for his brother to scold him for accepting some of the blame. As pranksters, they weren't supposed to feel bad for others. Although the sudden switch from anti-social, to social, to anti-social again all in the course of a year was very hard on the brothers.

Hikaru placed a hand on Kaoru's shoulder, knowing what the other was feeling. "Let's just get finished here and get home. We need to make arrangements to go to _public_ school." He said the word as though it were something disgusting instead of just a free school. As though the word itself was painful for him to say, he even licked his lips after saying it, making sure none of the commoner word was left in his mouth. Just thinking about it made the ex-rich boys want to go home and bathe.

He led his brother to the check out and helped him carry the bags back to their new home. He unlocked the door and helped Kaoru put the groceries away. It wasn't a large home, but it was just right for the two: a kitchen, sitting room, bathroom, and a bed room. The landlady had been a bit put-off at the fact that the twins only wanted a one bedroom, despite her many efforts to show them two bedroom homes.

Now that their parents knew, they felt free to show their relationship openly. Be it holding hands while they walked, or kissing in the park; they wanted everyone to know that yes they were brothers and yes they were lovers and if you didn't like it then too bad. But Kaoru was slightly frightened of what the kids in public school would say. They weren't as strict with bullying as they were at Ouran (or so he had heard) and he was worried about getting picked on. He could fight pretty well, but he fought better with his older brother there for "moral support". Though, he wasn't very good with verbal abuse, and that's what kept him up at night.

Kaoru sat down on the couch, Hikaru sat next to him, bringing his brother into his arms. "It'll be alright." He said quietly. "I know things look bad, but they'll get better. We just need to stick together and things will start looking up."

"We're never going to be rich again." He buried his face in the blue-shirted chest of Hikaru. "We'll be commoners for the rest of our lives." His grip tightened around his brother's waist, seeking the comfort he seemed to be getting more and more of as their lives together continued. "I…I'm scared, Hikaru."

Sighing, he lifted Kaoru's chin to look him in the eye. "I'm telling you, things will be fine. We can't let our fears get the best of us; we can't do anything to show that we can't do this. We have to show our parents wrong and let them know that we _can_ do this. We're all we need to be happy." He placed a kiss on the other's lips. "Okay? And we'll prank the hell out of anyone who crosses our path!" he punched the air and smiled.

Kaoru laughed at his silly brother. "Okay! Let's do it!" he nuzzled Hikaru's chest again. "I won't be scared if you're there. We don't need anyone else in our lives, just me and you forever!" They sat up and nodded to each other, kissing once again before Kaoru got up to make dinner and Hikaru got on the phone to talk with the public school.

- - - -

"Well, they say we can start tomorrow." Hikaru held his head in his hands as a plate of food was placed in front of him. "Itadakimasu." He muttered, picking up his fork and placed a piece of chicken in his mouth. Both boys thanked whatever force had made Kaoru take cooking back in middle school. "Thank you."

The younger nodded and ate his food as well. "You told them we want all the same classes at the same time, right?" when his brother nodded, he smiled and placed their hands together. "Don't worry, like you said, we'll be together. I know nothing bad can happen when we're with one another." He only returned to eating when the smile was returned.

Hikaru opened his mouth when the doorbell rang. "Who could that be?" he stood up and opened it. "Mother?" he scowled, "What do you want?" he felt Kaoru looking over his shoulder.

"Please boys, I just want you to come back home. I've been worried sick!" he pleaded with them, pulling her fur coat tighter around her. "I'm divorcing your father - I've been meaning to for awhile – so you don't' have to worry about him. Please, please come home, Hikaru, Kaoru, I miss you both. We'll work something out!" she was fighting tears; she just wanted her sons back.

Kaoru felt a pull at his heart. He did want to go home; he missed his room, the money, the house, the pool. He missed the maids and the butlers, but most of all, he missed his mommy. His grip tightened on Hikaru's shoulder.

The older bit his lower lip. "No, mother. We're sorry-" he stopped at Kaoru's grip and sighed. "Alright, we'll _think_ about it. But we're not working anything out." He looked at their feet. "We want to be together, we don't want to have to stop being in love just because people say it's wrong. And if you can't accept that, then we're never going to be able to live with you."

She nodded, drying her tearing eyes with a handkerchief, embroidered with the initials J.M. Her mother's name. "Of course, of course." She sniffed. "I…I understand boys." She nodded and turned, walking down the stairs back to her waiting car.


	3. Chapter 3

**Keri:** I have finally reached the "I've Made 5 People Cry through My Writing" mark. Thank you KittyChocolateAnime for being the fifth. Oh, and yes I'm sure that in Japan, they wouldn't treat the school badly, and that it would be very clean, but you know what, I'm putting them in _my_ high school so just role with it, lol.

- - - -

Dirty. Crummy. No uniforms. Unkempt. Littered.

Those were the five things that came to mind when Kaoru and Hikaru stepped foot in their new school. There was moss and dirt clinging to the walls, along with gum and other things encrusted onto its brick surface. All the students were in their normal attire, and it seemed that if there was a dress code, no one was enforcing it. The trees and bushes had no shape to them, as though they hadn't been trimmed in months. And there was trash on the ground, it wasn't too bad mind you, but it was enough to make the two red-heads sick.

In the eyes of the commoners, it wasn't a very bad school. And if you looked at the facility as a whole, it was very nice. But the teens, just coming out of private school, could see every single nasty, disgusting, filthy, horrible little thing about the building. The stains from sugary beverages; the trash from candy and other foods; the dirt and dust forming layer upon layer on top of the gum, turning it into a black mark that would forever rest upon the ground.

Kaoru pressed closer to Hikaru as they entered the administration building. "Brother," he whispered, "this place is horrible, can't we home-school instead?!" they took a seat at one of the table in the corner of the room, waiting for one of the secretaries to acknowledge them.

"No." Hikaru shook his head and looked at his twin. A mirror image if it hadn't been for the bangs. "They said we would need a parent or guardian to sign for us if we wanted to home-school. And they would have to teach us. But since it's just you and me…" they sighed in unison.

Kaoru tightened his hand around Hikaru's as a rather old lady – in her mid 50s if you had to guess – approached them. "What can I do for you boys? Oh, you must be the Hitachiin brothers." She smiled kindly. "Follow me please and we'll get your schedules and a map and we'll send you off to class." She led them through the building to the very back room. It contained three areas, sectioned off by desks. There were two computers in each area and three secretaries chattering away to one another, talking about some television show they had seen the previous night.

One stood. "I'll take them over here Yasu." She waved the boys over. Kaoru sat in the chair in front of her desk, Hikaru leaned over it. "Hello boys, my name is Ms. Rio, over there is Mrs. Hitomi, and Mrs. Yuuko only comes in the afternoon. This is the attendance office; we handle attendance of course, but also class arrangements, teacher complaints, and scheduling. So if you need help with any of those, come see us. Now which one is Kaoru and which is Hikaru, hm?"

They both smiled sadly. The _Which One is Hikaru and Which One is Kaoru_ game.

"I'm Hikaru, I talked with Mrs.Yuuko on the phone." He began to absent mindedly play with his brother's hair. Running it through his fingers. Massaging his scalp. Running thumbs behind his ears. Twirling the strands together. Twisting them back and forth between his thumb and forefinger. He heard the younger sigh contentedly.

Yasu nodded, writing off Hikaru's actions as simply "they're close". "Alright, I'll just pull up your schedules and get you everything you need to start. Lunch time is the same as at Ouran and all the prices are clearly labeled. I'm sure you've brought enough money." She smiled at them. "Everything else is the same as at Ouran, passing period time, break time, class length." She handed them each a piece of paper, folded in half, with their classes on it as well as a map of the school. "There you go!"

"Thank you," the twins nodded in unison and left the building.

Hikaru grabbed Kaoru's hand as they stepped outside. The school was basically a bunch of two-story buildings in a circle. "We should find our classes." He said at last.

- - - -

At lunch, the two boys sat alone.

They had always eaten alone.

Until the Host Club.

But who needed them?

They only needed each other.

Yet both were afraid to eat. True, the food wasn't as appealing to the eye as the food at Ouran High, but it didn't _taste_ bad. That bad. Hikaru gulped and looked at the other, who returned the action. They nodded and each picked up the fork, taking a bite. Like I said. It wasn't that bad. They looked at one another again. They could stomach it, but barely.

Kaoru nudged his brother, everyone that walked by or was sitting near them were staring at them. Like they had never seen twins before.

Hikaru wrapped his hand around his sibling's and turned his back to everyone. They were sitting outside, on the grass in the courtyard. It was a silent rule that only the populars sat on the grass, but they didn't know that. The jocks were glaring at them, while the preppy girls just watched in confused awe.

A blonde girl and her two friends approached them and sat. "So, you're new here huh?" she leaned forward towards Hikaru, smiling in that semi-coy/semi-sluty way popular girls do.

The boys met eyes for only a moment before nodding. They didn't want to get too friendly with anyone any more. They had tried, and their trust was broken. They didn't want to ever be hurt in such a way again.

"You would think," she said, walking her fingers up Hikaru's bare arm, "that two totally fine twin boys like yourself would have oodles of girls flocking to your side. Unless," she paused, looking up at Hikaru, "you have a girl friend already. Do you?" she pouted around the last two words. Her friends giggled and pressed up to either side of Kaoru. Almost all the popular people were watching.

The twins almost lost their lunch.

Hikaru stood, taking his brother's hand. "No, we don't have girl friends. _We_ are a couple. And, if you don't mind, _we_ are leaving." He didn't know where, but he had to get away from the obnoxious girls, dragging the younger twin behind him. He tried to ignore the looks of both disgust and confusion the kids who'd overheard shot them.

News seemed to travel fast, for by the time they reached the bathrooms – which was where Hikaru decided they would hideout – most of the school was buzzing with their names, and they could feel the eyes on their backs as they hurried to get away. Neither felt safe until they were in a stall. Hikaru collapsed to the ground as Kaoru hesitantly sat on the toilet.

"Brother?" he said softly.

He gave Kaoru a broken smile. "No, it's okay. I'm just… he sighed, "stressed. You would think we'd be used to girls doing things like…that after the Host Club. But the girls there never _touched_ you." he looked over the other's body. "Did it hurt? Does it burn? Want me to kiss it better?" he got on his knees, making fishy lips at Kaoru's arms.

"S-stop!" he giggled. "Hikaru, you know commoners don't burn! Well, at least Haruhi didn't. These ones might." He squirmed as Hikaru began to kiss and lick the areas the girls had touched him. Kaoru wrapped his legs around his brother's back. "Hikaru? Do you remember what we were doing when we first fell in love?"

"Hmmm," Hikaru chewed on his lip, looking at his brother. "I think-" he was playing with the other, "-but I'm not sure." He laughed at the pout that grazed Kaoru's lips. "Of course I do. We were in sixth grade. One of the girls had kissed you on the cheek and said you were cute. I asked her if she knew who was who. She didn't and I dragged you into the bathroom. We were sitting like this. I told you that I didn't like her kissing you, and you said that you didn't either. And I told you that I didn't want anyone else to have you, and you said you didn't want anyone to have you either. And-"

Kaoru joined his brother on the ground. "And you pulled me into your arms, and clung to me and told me that you weren't going to share." He leaned into Hikaru, his foot getting caught on the un-locked stall door, opening it as he moved. "And I leaned up and kissed you." and he did so.

"Oh my fucking lord-"

The twins looked over at the group of boys who had been watching the girls flirt with them. Kaoru blushed violently as the group approached them. Some looked pleased at finding two new fags they could beat to a pulp – to transform their attractive rich boy faces into a swelling, bleeding mess. While others look like they would be ill.

"And here I thought when they said they were together they were joking." He scooped up Kaoru by the front of his shirt, the eighteen year old able to pick him up off the ground by a few inches.

"Ahh! P-put me down!" Kaoru tried to pry the hand off his shirt.

Hikaru stood and punched the bully in the stomach, effectively allowing his twin to get free. "Are you okay Kaoru?" he helped him to his feet.

"You little shit!! I'll kill you!" the large jock lunged forward at the boys, but his friends held him back.

"Calm down man, it'll be okay…"

"Yeah, we'll get them later."

"You can't get another detention or your parents'll kill you."

He calmed slightly at his friends' words, pulling away from the grasp. "You two better watch your back." And with that they left.


	4. Chapter 4

**Keri:** First order of busyness, I re-read through my reviews and counted a total of 10 people I've made cry. I'm sorry for the misinformation.

Second order of busyness, to _HuMaN-EaTiNg-PaNdA -HEP-_: I'M SORRY MY KAORU-KUN PLEASE DON'T HATE ME.

If you don't get that, at school I'm Hikaru and she's Kaoru. And _inuyashalover411299_ is Honey-senpai and our friend Jenny is Haruhi. M'yeah.

Oh, and just a head's up: get your tissues ready.

- - - -

**Chapter the Last**

She couldn't look.

She couldn't bare it.

She just, could not look.

She had a feeling she knew.

But didn't want to believe.

Her husband placed a hand on her shoulder. "I will do it, if you want to wait outside."

She shook her head, waiting out side the door. The gateway to hell. The front door to the home of the dead. "I want to know what happened. They called us and told us to come together." She turned to the man next to her. "W-well?"

The police officer took Mrs. Hitachiin's hand in his own. "We got a call from the land owner, she said - there had been a disturbance." He paused for the mother to take a deep breath. "We came over and found…found a body that had been stabbed to death outside a condo, inside was another body. He had hung himself."

Mrs. Hitachiin burst into tears in her husband's shoulder. She knew that this was what had become of them.

"M'am, we need you to identify the bodies." He sighed at the sight. "Or your husband can go in, and you can wait out side."

She pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket, trying to stop her sobs as she looked back up at the doors to the morgue. She would have to go in. She couldn't kid herself. She had to see in order to accept it. "I-I'll do it."

The officer nodded, leading the couple into the chilly room. Rows upon rows of bodies, shut tight in lockers, lined the walls. There were five cold, metal gurneys in the room, each with a small table by them.

A doctor was standing by the only two beds with occupants. There was a white sheet covering the bodies. He pulled them back slowly, reveling each identical face.

"Oh god," the fashion designer placed a hand over her mouth as she stared into the cold, lifeless faces of the young boys. Her boys. Both parents had known this would happen if anyone had found out about the relationship. A hate crime. That what this was.

"We figure that after finding his brother dead, one of them hung themselves. Can you tell who's who, m'am?" the doctor asked as gently as he could.

This was the ultimate _Which One is Hikaru-kun Game_.

She took a deep breath once more, looking from face to face before she pointed at the boy with a deep purple bruise around his neck. "That i-is my Hikaru-kun." She was right, but she would never know.

- - - -

Everyone had come. The family, close and distant, all the maids and butlers were invited as guests not employees, and the Host Club. They showed up. And brought all of Hikaru and Kaoru's fan-girls who mourned their coffins.

The funeral was in the back yard of the mansion, the family graveyard. Mrs. Hitachiin hand been extra careful so that the bodies would not be confused and buried in the wrong grave. She had always known her boys wanted to be told apart, and to be left in the other's grave, was an insult she would not have. She couldn't save their lives, the least she could do was give them this small mercy.

Tamaki sat down in the chair next to Mrs. Hitachiin. "I'm sorry. You have no idea how horrible we all feel." He hung his head, holding back tears for his dear friends. "This is all my fault, and for that, I am sorry."

She dabbed her eyes from under her black veil. "No darling, it is not your-"

"Yes it is!" he said angrily, holding head in frustration. "If I hadn't given Haruhi and Kyouya permission to post that picture, none of this would be happening!" the tears trickled from his eyes, staining his face. The one that had won him so many girls. The one that he had prized more than life itself. But now, he wasn't so sure: Good looks hadn't saved the Hitachiin twins.

Mrs. Hitachiin placed a hand on Tamaki's back, trying to comfort the teen. She couldn't tell him that it wasn't his fault, for it was, and she couldn't tell him that it was his fault, for it wasn't. Everyone had a hand in the deaths of her only sons, yet none had meant to. Except, maybe, the person or persons who had murdered her youngest.

She stood after a moment or two of silence, going over to the caskets. They were open for their wounds were hidden by their clothes. She took out a small black box she had been given after identifying the two. The fan-girls stood in a small, teary eyed circle around her as she leaned down, placing a small necklace around each boy's neck.

Around Hikaru's neck was a small heart with pick jewels.

Kaoru's name was engraved into it.

And around Kaoru's was a small heart with blue jewels.

Hikaru's name was engraved into his.

- - - -

**Keri: -**sits back and waits for hate mail-


End file.
